Operating mechanism for railway-car couplings.



No. 741,277. PATBNTED OCT. 13; 1903.

, W. F. RICHARDS. OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY GAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 1902..

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THE mums zrzns co. mom-nmov, WASHINGTON a cv No. 741,277. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

W. F. RICHARDS.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY GAR COUPLINGS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 19oz.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 3. 190-2.

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UNITED STATES Patented October 13:,1903.

PATET prion.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS, OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR RAILWAY -CAR COUPLING S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,277, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed February 3. 19Q2. Serial No. 92,286. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD F. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Operating Mechanism for Railway-Car Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a coupler-operating mechanism for railway-cars and the like in which the coupler is mounted at the end of a long draw-bar which is pivoted at or near its rear end, so that the coupler is per} mitted an extended lateral swinging movement to enable the use of the coupler on sharp curves.

The object of the invention is to provide an operating mechanism of simple construction whereby an operator on the car-platform can open the coupler to uncouple the cars and move the coupler into any desired position to permit coupling on curves or return the coupler to a normal central position when the same has been uncoupled on a curve and is left in an abnormal or side position.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets,- Figure l is a plan view, partly in section, of a coupler-operating mechanism embodying the invention and showing a portion of the car and platform frames. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof on the same scale. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section, partly in plan, on line 3 3, Fig. 2, showing the coupler and connections for moving the same laterally. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional elevation on line 4 at, Fig.1. Figure 5 is a fragmentary transverse section on an enlarged scale showing the coupling and uncoupling shafts and associated parts. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the clutchsleeve on line 6 6, Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents a coupler, which is carried at the forward end of the draw-bar B, which is pivoted at or near its rear end, so that its forward end can swing laterally. The forward end of the draw-bar is supported and guided in its movement between guide plates or bars C, which are supported beneath the platform end sill by means of suitable bolts or the like a and are held spaced apart the proper distance by means of space-sleeves or the like 0. These parts are common and may be of any usual or preferred construction and arrangement.

D represents an upright uncoupling-shaft which is journaled at its lower end in suitable holes provided therefor in the upper and lower bearing-plates d d on the platform end sill and at its upper end in a bearing on the platform-rail. In the drawings, Fig. 4, the lower end of the uncouplingshaft is shown as being steadied or braced by a bearing-plate (1 connected to or formed with the adjacent spacing-sleeve for the drawbar guide-plates; Fixed to the lower end of the uncoupling-shaft, preferably above the bearing-plate (Z is a spool or drum E, to which one end of a flexible member or chain c is fixed, the other end of the chain being attached to an uncoupling-lever or the like e, carried bythe coupler.

The coupler is of a type adapted to open or to be forced open by the operation of the lever by means of the chain e. The chain c is long enough to permit the drawbar to swing to the extent of its lateral movement without moving the lever to uncouple or open the coupler. When the uncoupling-shaft is rotated, the chain is wound on the drum or spool and the uncoupling-lever or the like operated to open the coupler. The means shown in the drawings for moving the coupler into a position in which it can be coupled to a cooperating coupler on another car and for returning the coupler from the position in which it is left after uncoupling to its central position or to another desired position for coupling is as follows:

F represents an endless flexible member, such as a chain, which is arranged. in the form of a loop on sprocket-wheels ff at or near opposite ends of the platform end sill. One run of the chain at the center thereof is connected to the coupleror draw-bar in any suitable manner. As shown in the drawings, the sprocket-wheel f is loosely journaled be neath the platform end sill on a reduced portion of one of the spacing-sleeves for the F in the movement of the coupler from one position to another without operating the drum and opening the coupler and so that the coupler can be opened while the sprocketwheel is held stationary or is moved independently thereof.

Any suitable means may be employed for rotating the sprocket-wheelf to operate the chain and through it the coupler. The construction shown in the drawings is as follows:

G represents a gear-wheel, which is journaled loosely on the uncoupling-shaft between the upper end of a sleeve g,secured to or formed with the sprocket-wheel, and the bearingplate on the under side of the platform end sill. This gear-wheel is provided with clutchteeth or the like g on its under side. H rep resents a clutch member or sleeve, which is slidably mounted on the sleeve of the sprocketwheel f and is caused to rotate therewith, as by means of a feather or spline h. This clutch member is provided at its upper end with teeth h, adapted to cooperate with the clutch-teeth on the under side of the gearturning the gear-wheel the sprocket-wheel is also caused to turn.

I represents a shifting-lever for the clutchsleeve. This lever is pivoted intermediate of its ends to a suitable fixed part-such, for instance, as a lug on a casing t, which is secured to the end sill and incloses the gearwheel, clutch-sleeve, lever, and other parts.

One end of the shifting-lever is bifurcated or forked and provided with studs or pins 2",:

or head j, adapted to be engaged by the foot of the operator to depress the push-rod and through the lever throw the clutch-sleeve into engagement with the clutch-teeth on the The lower end of the,

L represents a coupling-shaft which is arranged in an upright position beside or adjacent to the uncoupling-shaft and is j ournaled at its lower end in bearing-openings in the upper and lower bearing-plates and at its upper end in a bearing Z on the platformrail. The coupling-shaft has secured to its lower end in the casing t a gear-wheel M, which meshes with or is geared to the gearwheel G for rotating the latter. When the push-rod is depressed so that the clutchsleeve is thrown into engagement with the clutch-teeth on the gear-wheel and the coupling-shaft is rotated, the gear-wheel G and the sprocket-wheel coupled thereto will also be operated and will drive the chain and move the coupler and draw-bar in either direction and to any desired point within its range of movement, according to the direction of rotation of the coupling-shaft.

The coupling and uncoupling shafts may be provided with any suitable means for operating the same. As shown in the drawipgs, each shaft is provided at its upper end with a square or polygonal head, and a crank N is provided which can be readily engaged with either one of the shafts to operate the same.

In the normal position of the parts, as shown in the drawings, the clutch-sleeve H is down out of engagement with the clutchteeth on the gear-wheel G,so that the sprocketwheel f is free to rotate on the uncouplingshaft D, and the coupler is thus permitted to swing freely from side to side with the cooperating coupler in rounding curves. When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the uncoupling-shaft is rotated by means of the crank, which winds the uncoupling-chain on the drum E at the lower end of the uncoupling-shaft and operates the uncoupling-lever or trip device 6. When it is desired tomove the coupler to any desired position, so that it can be coupled with a cooperating coupler on another car or return itto its normal central position after the cars have been uncoupled on a curve, the operator depresses the push-rod J to couple the gear-wheel G to the sprocket-wheelf and then turns the coupling-shaft L by means of the crank. This through the connections above described swings the coupler in either direction, according to, the direction of rotation of the shaft. The sprocket-wheel turns on the uncoupling-shaft, so that the latter is not turned and the uncoupling-lever is not operated.

I claim as my invention 1. Thecombinationwithadraw-barmounted to move laterally, of a wheel loosely journaled, an operative connection between said wheel and I the draw-bar to positively move the latter in either direction, a device for operatin g said wheel, and means for operatively connecting said wheel to said operating device, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination withadraw-bar mounted to move laterally, of loosely-journaled wheels, a flexible member running on said wheels and connected to said draw-bar, a device for operating one of said wheels to drive said flexible member in either direction to positively move said draw-bar in either direction, and means for operatively connecting said wheel to said operating device, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination Withadraw-bar mounted to move laterally, of loosely-journaled chain-Wheels, an endless chain running on said chain-wheels and connected to said drawbar and adapted to move the latter positively in either direction, a shaft, gearing between said shaft and one of said chain-wheels, and a clutch device for operatively connecting one of said gear-Wheels to said chain-wheel, substantially as set forth. 7

4:. The combination with a draw-bar mounted to move laterally, of loosely-journaled chain-wheels, an endless chain running on said chain-Wheels and connected to said drawbar and adapted to move the latter positively in either direction, a shaft on which one of said chain-wheels is loosely j ournaled, a gearwheel loosely journaled on said shaft, a shaft provided with a gear-wheel geared to said loose gear-wheel, and a clutch device operatively connecting said loose gear-Wheel with said loose chain-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a draw-bar and a coupler mounted to move laterally, a chain connected to said draw-bar, sprocket-wheels on which said chain runs, an uncoupling-shaft on which one of said sprocket-wheels is loosely mounted, a gear-wheel loosely mounted on said uncoupling-shaft, a shaft adjacent to said uncoupling-shaft, gearing connecting said second shaft With said loose gear-Wheel, a clutch member for operatively connecting said loose gear-wheel and said sprocket-wheel, a foot-operated shifting-lever for moving said clutch member, and means connecting said uncoupling-shaft with the coupler for uncoupling or opening the same, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with a draw-bar and coupler mounted to move laterally, of a chain connected to said draw-bar, sprocket-wheels on which said chain runs, an uncouplingshaft on which one of said sprocket-wheels is loosely journaled, a gear-wheel loosely journaled on said uncoupling-shaft, a clutchsleeve slidably mounted on said sprocketwheel for operatively connecting the latter to said loose gem -wheel, a shaft, gearing connecting said second shaft with said loose gear- Wheel, a clutch-operating lever, a verticallymovable push-rod connected to said clutchlever, and connections between said uncoupling-shaft and said coupler for uncoupling or opening the same, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 21st day of January, 1902.

WILLARD F. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

JNo. J. BONNER, G. B. HoRNBEcK, 

